What you say makes sense as far as it goes but,if you read further in my post, you will see that I complained at the lack of resources thrown at the problem. You saw about eight police officers you say but it is unlikely that they were all initially deployed inside the ground as the RL would have to pay for them. You will have noticed that they arrived when the worst of the disorder was over and some of the Widnes 'fans' were returning to their end of the ground. They were probably initially deployed on crowd control outside the ground and had to be brought in. It is usual for a token police presence in the ground and the 'policing' of the crowd is down to the stewards. So given the situation they where in, you are right in your argument. My argument is that such situations of insufficient undertrained, physically deficient people policing such events should not arise. After all, it is not as if Widnes do not have a reputation for loutish behaviour.
Incidentally, on the video I saw a Widnes fan was detained by the police, yet the media reported that no arrests were made which must mean that he was released without charge or reported for summons which, again is the cheapest way of dealing with him. But is it the most effective? I think not.

I suspect that if you knew how many uniformed police officers were on duty in the Wigan and Leigh area at 4.45pm last Sunday you would be unpleasantly surprised.

Dont remember seeing any police at the Wolves V Leeds game. IF that was the case, were the police at the Widnes V Cas game there because of a) policing policy of GMP, b) previous history of Widnes fans, c) they had actually been called to the game because of the issues before hand with bottles etc being thrown at coaches......or d) I was at the Saturday game with my eyes shut ?

Looking at them I would say they had come in after the pre-match problem with the coach. from their actions when they came on the pitch they didn't seem to have any public order expertise and looked like they had been cobbled together at short notice.

Interesting thought, there wasn't a hint of anything unsavoury at our game. However, from an off field perspective I'm really quite relieved that we weren't playing Widnes as Lord knows how bad it could've been? We aren't exactly lilywhite ourselves at times and I think the idiots on the pitch might just have got a reaction and some might say what they deserved in front of a national TV audience.

There but for the grace of God....

Unfortunately I don't think I would.
Sunday is probably one of the quietest demand days for the police and the manpower on duty would reflect that. The police are now geared to response and any idea of prevention has gone out of the window.
Having said that, the policing of a major sporting occasion would involve manpower brought in specially for the occasion. In comparison to football, I think the police regard policing RL games as money for jam. I know the met police do. Unfortunately the Widnes and, let's face it, fans from a number of clubs, including some of ours, are endangering a reputation of which we can all be justifiably proud. That is we are addicted to a tough game played by tough, proud men who knock seven bells out of each other on the field but we know how to handle the drink and have a good time and we know how to conduct ourselves with dignity.
I think it is beholden to all of us to protect that reputation and have no truck with morons who are sullying the good name of the game.

I saw plenty of police at Langtree. I think the most heavily policed games I've seen were the recent championship finals at the HJ!

May be the problem is due to the availability of cheap alcohol at all hours of the day & night from the cut price booze dealers & supermarkets . The type of cretins we see causing trouble are the type who wouldn't be able to afford to get drunk at pub prices ,but will buy a dozen or two cheap cans & down the lot.

www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/new ... ms/?ref=la I see two of our fan have been banned for 2 & 5 years which I fully agree with , what I dont get is why a 40 year old man would even have a flare?

www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/new ... ms/?ref=la I see two of our fan have been banned for 2 & 5 years which I fully agree with , what I dont get is why a 40 year old man would even have a flare?

Same reason that 40 year old decide to go on the pitch, threaten officials, and cause damage............................they are d#####ads

Good to see. Shame that they weren't named though. When it happened we had a couple of people on here saying there was nothing wrong with throwing flares in the ground.

I remember seeing a post on facebook (in a well known group made up presumably by kids who've obviously watched Green Street/Football Factory too many times) after that game by the same lad who had the flare, he was moaning about being kicked out of the stadium, slagging the stewards and basically saying "ffs it's only a flare". The little p***k seriously believed he'd done nothing wrong and was hard done by and that by bringing it he was "creating an atmosphere". Some 18 year olds are idiots (I know I was at times) but a 40 year bloke with a flare is just ridiculous.

Exactly just complete idiots, you can excuse the 18 year old of being a bit idiotic but not the 40 year old! TBh I would have banned the 40 year old for longer!

Reading the article it appears the teenager was banned for actually being caught setting one off, the older person was only "in possession".

Use that famous search engine and there are enough stories about people being injured and killed by flares. MAYBE the action of the Widnes few have been the cue for teams across the league to start taking action against trouble makers.

To me there's very little difference between being in possession and actually throwing the flare. If you've got one with you, there's only one thing you're going to do with it, it's not designed for anything else.

I'm no fan on flares but anyone else think banning an 18 year old kid for five years for setting off a flare is a little excessive? Give him a year stood outside the ground and he'd learn his lesson.

I personally think the 40 yr old should of got longer as he should definitely know better, I think the 18 year old was used as an example to all the younger fans to behave or you will suffer!

No. You throw a flare into a crowd of people and it's got potential to cause a serious problem.

Just went onto the said Facebook page and they are saying it is a disgrace that he got 5 years

Tell me where it says he threw it into a crowd of people and I'll agree with you.

See new picture on WG website. The smoke flare was definitely set off in amongst the fans.

I'm 18 and am fully aware of the danger and idiocy of pyros. No excuse of "being a kid" when you're 18.

Anybody there on the day could see this anyway, it wasn't exactly inconspicuous...

True...and if I remember correctly, 2 were set off. It was after the second one that stewards and then the police moved in. Some people just like to see it in "black and white"

Good to see Wire take action, the same should have happened with the idiots scrapping during the 2012 Grand Final.

As someone wrote on the VT, instead of trying to shift blame to kick off times, the RFL, 'football fans' etc etc we need to start taking responsibility for ourselves. That goes for many other things in this sport too.